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Accession Number: NEKHC:2016.8 Object: Star of David Pendant Physical Description:  Metal pendant with enamel paint.  Information:  This Star of David pendant was donated by Ilse Buxbaum. Ilse was born in Germany and came to England to escape Nazi persecution of Jewish people in 1939. The necklace was worn by Ilse on her journey to England.

Further Information: 

This Star of David pendant was donated by Ilse Buxbaum. It was brought to Britain by Ilse when she travelled to England as part of the Kindertransport, in 1939. Ilse was born in 1929 in Berlin, Germany, and she was an only child in a happy family home. Growing up, Ilse remembers that as a family they were not especially religious as her father did not partake actively in religious obligations, although Ilse used to go to Synagogue on Fridays and Saturdays with her mother.

The family faced increasing danger from the rise of Nazism and persecution of Jewish people. Ilse’s father was no longer able to work as before and the situation became increasingly threatening for both her parents and Ilse. To save their lives, the family decided to try to leave Germany. They succeeded in doing so but had to go separately. On 1st March 1939, Ilse was the first to depart from Berlin having been sent to England on the Kindertransport. She was wearing this Star of David pendant, which she had worn during her young childhood in Germany, and as she felt Jewish she wanted to continue to wear it on her journey to England.

The Hebrew writing in the centre of the pendant means 'Zion'. During the journey, however, Ilse was scared by the idea of the pendant being seen by Nazi guards, and kept the necklace hidden under her clothes. Ilse’s mother was also later able to leave for England, and finally her father escaped to Shanghai, China, but they were never again able to reunite as a family of three.

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